That Sleep of Death by Richard King

That Sleep of Death Reviews

• 
  Christine

  There is way too much telling going on. You have two book lovers, and we are told what their conversation is about not shown. Furthermore, why would you keep referring to your friend and business partner by both her first and last name? King captures Montreal well, but that doesn't make up for the other issues.
• 
  Sebastian

  3.5 stars
  
  Let’s make one thing clear right at the start: if you’re looking for a thrilling crime novel that has you on the edge of your seat and makes you bite your nails in constant excitement then you can already stop reading right here because Richard King’s book „A Death at the University“ definitely won’t provide that. Instead this book comes with the teaser of being a „classic murder mystery“ and the first book in a new cosy crime series „for fans of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders“ and that’s exactly what you can expect from the book. What made the book so interesting to me is that the main character is not a police detective or a private investigator but a bookseller (!) that runs a little independent bookstore in the heart of Montreal and I just couldn’t resist the combination of murder and books. It all starts when protagonist Sam Wiseman wants to collect the money from one of his long-time clients for the latest book orders when he suddenly finds this professor Harold Hilliard dead in his office at the McGill University. In every other crime novel being the first one at the crime scene would probably make him suspect no. 1 especially since in the victim’s hands the police finds a special order form from Sam’s bookstore that the dying professor must have grabbed to give the detectives a hint at the identity of his killer but Sam can call himself lucky to know Detective Gaston Lemieux as a regular client from his bookstore. For some reasons Lemieux immediately trusts his bookseller and even allows him to be a part of the investigation and to help with with the questionings of witnesses and the like – that’s probably not the most believable setting to start a murder mystery with but since it was good for permanently linking the bookstore to the murder investigation I didn’t really mind inconsistencies like that.
  
  A protagonist that is living every crime novel fan’s dream
  
  Having been given these privileges I have to admit that I was a bit jealous of Sam Wiseman. I mean, this bookseller guy can spend his whole life being surrounded by books and then even gets allowed to investigate a real murder – isn’t that every crime novel fan’s dream? So I could totally relate to Sam being overly excited about being a part of this investigation and therefore trying his best to make himself indispensable to Detective Lemieux so that he could stay involved until the conviction of the professor’s murderer. BUT I must say that I haven’t always been able to see Sam’s value for the investigation because for claiming to be a murder mystery fan I found him rather naive and sometimes thought that he was asking rather dumb questions, for example when he couldn’t imagine why someone would want to steal the laptop of a murder victim – seriously, Sam? Detective Lemieux had some kind of the same naivety because he is a rather old-schooled detective and sometimes seemed a bit unaware of modern aspects (like genuinely wondering why a renowned professor would password-protect his computer… *headdesk*) but on the other hand it was also nice to see that these two characters were rather normal people and not the super sharp investigators that other crime novels provide. I don’t want to give the impression that they were dumb but sometimes Sam and Gaston just seemed a bit unexperienced which is okay if you’re a bookseller but a bit weird if you’re a homicide detective in a city like Montreal.
  
  A cosy and classic crime novel with a really nice atmosphere
  
  But to be honest I wasn’t really expecting a sophisticated murder case of this novel and even though Richard King didn’t present both his characters and his readers with a very intellectual challenge I have to say that I really did enjoy reading this novel and that’s probably because it never pretended to be more than it actually was. Like the description already indicated „A Death at the University“ is indeed a cosy and classic murder mystery and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Richard King definitely did a good job in my opinion in creating a snug atmosphere and the city of Montreal made for a really nice setting as well. There was always enough time for Sam Wiseman and the other characters to hang out in cosy cafés or restaurants (seriously, his bookstore business must definitely be quite profitably if he can afford to dine out that often) or in his bookstore and overall there was very little violence so that the book is like the perfect read for a lazy Sunday afternoon on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate/whatever. It would have been nice if the bookstore would have been integrated even more into the story but eventually „A Death at the University“ lived up almost exactly to the expectations I had – which weren’t that high to be honest but this cosy crime novel definitely made me want to go back to Montreal one day and solve another „bookshop mystery“.
• 
  Linda Johnson

  A pleasant read -- especially enjoyed references to familiar locations in Montreal
• 
  Bruce Gargoyle

  I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
  
  Ten Second Synopsis:
  Sam owns a bookstore. Upon going to collect money for an unpaid order, Sam discovers his customer - a history professor - murdered. Luckily, Sam is friends with the local detective. Investigation ensues!
  
  There was nothing glaringly wrong with this book, except that there was far too much telling, rather than showing, and clunky dialogue that was mildly, but persistently, irritating.
  
  Sam is an unassuming, laid back kind of a guy – so much so that he is happy to leave the business he owns for hours at a time in order to help the police investigate the murder of one of his clients. While detective Gaston Lemieux does the official business, Sam potters around trying to sniff out leads and find that extra bit of information that may prove crucial to the whole operation.
  
  The book has the quirky aspect of featuring Sam as a suspect early on, but this is put aside almost immediately, which I thought was unfortunate because it could have added some much needed suspense to the plot.
  
  Unfortunately, I found the investigation to be tedium itself. There is very little in the way of danger and Sam seems to be able to wander into any suspect's circle of awareness, ask some questions, get some reasonable answers and report them back to Gaston. While Sam obviously has to have a big part in the investigation, being the protagonist, it beggars belief that a detective would let some ordinary Joe (or Sam, as the case may be), go around doing police work. One would think that this would prejudice the case somewhat. The ending is also a bit lacklustre, with only the most minor of minor twists, which I imagine will be pretty disappointing to avid murder mystery fans.
  
  Overall, this was a disappointing read. I would say “bitterly” disappointing, but I can’t even muster up enough emotion about it to be bothered being bitter. I was initially excited to read a murder mystery set partly in a bookshop in Canada, as I felt this was an interesting variation from my usual British cosy mysteries. I can’t really recommend this book simply because there are far more engaging examples of the genre floating around. If you have a specific interest in Canadian murder mysteries however, you might find something to enjoy here.
  
• 
  Melissa Borsey

  I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book as the storyline was very interesting and I really liked the characters. It kept my attention throughout and I found it to be a quick and easy read. I highly recommend this cosy mystery!
• 
  Alison C

  Sam Wiseman co-owns a bookstore in downtown Montreal, where he meets and becomes friends with people from all walks of life, including professors at McGill University and police detectives. So when one of his professor friends is murdered while holding a book order traced to his store, Sam is happy to assist his police detective friend in investigating the crime, especially as he himself might be a suspect…. Richard King is actually the former owner of Paragraphe Books in downtown Montreal, so he knows whereof he speaks in that regard. He also nicely captures the bilingual nature of the city, having individuals speak French from time to time without translating (nothing crucial is missed if you don’t read French, however). I’m not entirely convinced that a homicide detective would welcome the assistance of an outsider, but no matter; the story works and the city is well represented. Mr. King currently provides bi-weekly book reviews to a local CBC radio program, which is where I first heard him; he’s continued with this series, albeit very slowly given that this first book was published in 2002 (and is set in the 1990s) and his most recent, which is only the third or fourth in the series, was just published. I’ll check them out too; recommended!
• 
  Kathe

  A charming old-school mystery set in Montreal, which is not pretending to be anywhere else. The author is the former co-owner of Paragraphe Books, located just down the block from McGill University, which plays a prominent role in the story. (The bookshop here is called Dickens & Compagnie, but it's recognizably Paragraphe.) The cut-and-thrust of academic life is set against the bookselling background, which is great fun, especially for a lifelong anglo-Montrealer and McGill grad like moi.
  
  I downloaded the next two books in the series right after finishing this one -- a compliment to the author, who is also one of CBC Montreal's book columnists.
• 
  Karyn The Pirate

  Sam Wiseman is co-owner of a bookstore in Montreal. While he enjoys all things literary, he loves a good mystery. When he stumbles upon the corpse of Professor Harold Hilliard in the course of collecting payment from him, Sam gets his dream of becoming involved in a mystery - as a suspect. Inspector Gaston Lemieux is in charge of the case and Sam is lucky enough to have a previous friendship with Lemieux. Now he has to chance to clear his name and aid in the investigation. As Sam and Lemieux navigate their way through the collegiate world, it becomes apparent Professor Hilliard was not always the amiable man Sam knew from the bookstore. But who disliked him enough to kill him? And why was he clutching the special order slip for the books Sam was there to collect on?
  I read enjoyed this ARC provided by NetGalley. I enjoyed getting to know Montreal through Sam's eyes. I am not familiar with the city but it is obvious the author knows it well and loves it. The only trouble I had with the story were the bits of French through out the story. While they did not detract from the story line, I did have to stop to figure out what they said as I don't know French. I understand that Montreal is a bilingual city so this is authentic but did slow me down a bit. But I did learn a bit of French in the process, so it was fine. I am anxious to see this in publication and purchase it for my library.
• 
  Maria Beltrami

  Lately it seems that these thrillers that take place in North American universities, where a professor of clear academic reputation, but equally well-known for a bad character is found murdered, and the featured amateur detective shows to be crucial to solving the mystery, are fashionable. They are affected and well-meaning thriller, with beautiful and educated people, who usually do cool jobs and have sympathetic colleagues.
  The book is discretely written and read well, especially with the help of a bout of insomnia. The thanks to Maeve Binchy could explain the excess of sugar.
  Thanks to Bonnier Publishing and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Ultimamente sembra che vadano di moda questi thriller ambientati nelle università del Nord America, nei quali un professore di chiara fama accademica, ma altrettanto chiara fama di cattivo carattere viene trovato ammazzato, e il dilettante di turno si mostra fondamentale per la soluzione del mistero. Sono thriller vezzosi e ben intenzionati, con personaggi belli ed educati, che di solito fanno lavori fighi e hanno colleghi comprensivi.
  Il libro è scritto discretamente e si legge volentieri, soprattutto con l'aiuto di un attacco di insonnia. Il ringraziamento a Maeve Binchy potrebbe spiegare l'eccesso di zucchero.
  Ringrazio Bonnier Publishing e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
• 
  Peter

  The real mystery and the real question to a one star review is probably "why did you finish the book?" The answer is because I downloaded it with some anticipation because the setting was partially a bookstore. Oh well.
  
  It would be unfair and unkind to compare this mystery with a P.D. James, Martha Grimes, Peter Robinson or Louise Penny. This mystery does not pretend to be in that league. It is, as they say, a cosy mystery, and I should have known better.
  
  The story's premise is that a police detective who enjoys Charles Dickens novels enlists the help of a book store owner to help solve a murder on the campus of McGill University in Montreal. The detective allows Sam, the bookstore owner, who discovers the first body, to accompany him on his investigations, the interviewing of suspects and everything in between. At least M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series has some depth without pretending to be too serious; King's book had no depth, no seriousness and no gravity to hold a reader's attention or interest . If you want a quick, easy read with no real substance, then take this book to the beach or the ski slope.
  
  
• 
  Verity W

  ******Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
  
  A fun and easy to read cozy crime set in Montreal. I liked Sam the bookseller and his detective chum, although I did think that it was rather far fetched that Lemieux was prepared to let him tag along and help in the investigation despite the fact that he was the one who found the body. But if you could get past that (and I could intermittently if I didn't think about it too much) then it rattles along at a fairly good pace with some nice red herrings. Not all of them are properly worked out in teh end - I felt like a few details weren't tied up as neatly as they could have been.
  
  This is cued up as the first in a series - and I'll be interested to find out how the Sam/Gaston pairing continues (although I won't be rushing to find out) and how Sam manages to keep getting himself involved in the mysteries.
• 
  Susan

  The new title is - A Death at the University.
  After making friends with a police detective - Gaston Lemieux - Sam Wiseman a bookseller finds the body of a murdered professor.
  Then Lemieux invites Wiseman to help with the investigation. I didn't take to the character of Wiseman and certainly couldn't understand the use of Wiseman as an investigator instead of another detective, and of Wiseman's co-owner of the bookstore letting him get away with not working but using their small profits to employ cover for him.
  A NetGalley book
• 
  Leyla Johnson

  I don't generally like books written in the first person, but this was good. The story flowed so seamlessly, that I forgot that it was in the first person.
  The mystery was intriguing and different, there was no gratuitous violence, twists or turns, just a solid, well written murder mystery set in Canada. I will certainly read books more from Richard King.
  This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review